Our Brand of Travel.
Hello. We’re Seth, Sara, and Millie, a family with a focus on affordable and sustainable travel. We started traveling in 2018, and have currently traveled the distance of 2 times around the world! We’ve learned a lot about this planet and strive to make it a better place. For everyone.
Our family feels that visiting a new place, experiencing a new culture and seeing the places you’ve always dreamed of is very fulfilling and makes us want to be better people. To be able to show our daughter that we are all on this big ball in the sky together, that everyone is different and yet we’re all the same, is the learning experience of a lifetime. We try to do our part when traveling by giving back, leaving things a little bit better than we found them, donating, and focusing on being ecologically responsible. Sustainable travel and ecotourism is something we try to practice every day. Traveling or not.
Not only that, we are budget travelers. In a world where the price of everything is constantly rising, we are trying to live our best life while still being able to provide for our family, and hopefully retire one day without a worry. We spend a lot of time researching locations and destinations and finding deals. It may be time consuming, but so worth it, and anyone can do it.
If you decide to keep reading, I’ll explain why we do this, how we’re doing this, and why you should get out and try it too. Be brave, experience something new, find YOUR adventure.
Ecotourism and Sustainable Travel
What is ecotourism?
Ecotourism is defined as responsible travel practices focused on conserving natural environments, supporting local communities, and promoting sustainable development. It seeks to minimize negative impacts on eco systems while fostering cultural exchange and environmental education among travelers.
Let me explain it like this..
Ecotourism is not just taking selfies with exotic animals or hugging trees in the rainforest. It’s a responsible and sustainable way of exploring the beauty and diversity of our planet, without leaving a negative impact on the environment or the people.
It is not just staying in a fancy eco-lodge or eating organic food. It’s a way of learning from the local communities and supporting their conservation efforts, while also having fun and memorable experiences.
It is not just a trend or a buzzword. It’s a philosophy and a practice that can make a difference in the world, one trip at a time.
What is sustainable travel?
Sustainable travel means being aware of the impact of tourism on the environment. So almost the same, but a little different. The first step is to become aware of yourself. Did you drop something and not pick it up? Are you eating fast food while in the heart of a new place? Are you booking the fastest and easiest way to get somewhere?
It takes a lot of practice, discipline, and caring a bit about where we all live. All of us. Together. As one.
Here are some examples of how we practice affordable ecotourism and sustainable travel:
Trash
During our travels we are big on picking up trash. At least 3-5 days a week, we will fill up one big trash bag per day. In some places, this was easy to do, we probably could have filled up dozens of trash bags, but in other places this was actually pretty hard to do! (Lookin at you Singapore!) This gave us the opportunity to teach our daughter about recycling and who is impacted by the trash (animals, ocean life, the air, etc). We’re not about bringing another litter bug into this world. We put an emphasis on sustainable travel with our daughter, who has now become the family leader in picking up trash. I now have to make sure every time I leave the house that I am carrying a trash bag in my purse or backpack.
Also, be sure to utilize the local recycling infrastructure to the best of your ability. Some countries are more diligent about the separation of waste products than others but try to be conscientious of your recycling options. Spain for example, has 5-7 bins with detailed pictures of items you can dispose in each.
Shop Local
Another example of ecotourism is to shop locally. Since we also travel on a budget, this ended up getting a little tricky. We would visit or seek out farmers markets in every area we stayed, but they tend to be more expensive than the grocery store. Fortunately, the grocery stores in most foreign countries are not like the ones in the US. Majority of the items their grocery stores carry are local.
We would scope out the farmers markets, make notes of the prices and the quality of the food, and then do the same in the grocery store. We would choose items from the store that were a bit less expensive than the farmers market, while not sacrificing the beautiful and delicious produce we found in those farmers markets. Yeah it’s time consuming, but so worth it. We made a lot of connections in those farmers markets, and even learned a thing or two from the vendors.
Visiting the farmers markets is a great way to offer your volunteer services. A lot of them could use a helping hand, and are so thankful when you extend yours.
Second Hand Stores
We’ve visited handfuls of second hand stores here in the US, but none of them are as great as the ones abroad. Especially in the UK! They are not jam packed full of things, making you feel overwhelmed and anxious. Walking into some of the “charity shops” in the UK would fool most into thinking they were walking into a brand new clothing store. The displays are beautiful, the staff is very helpful and friendly, and the prices are just too good to be true. We never once bought something new (excluding underwear), because they have such great quality items offered. Sometimes ecotourism is super easy.
When we were off to a new country, we would donate back to these shops. Especially when we left the warm climate countries for the cold, we donated all of our summer wear, and stocked up on winter clothes. It’s giving back and it’s budget friendly. Win win.
Donate
This is a big thing for our family. Our daughter turned 4 while we were traveling with her. We would usually stay in a place for 6 weeks or so before moving on to the next place. In that time, she would acquire books and toys that unfortunately, we had no room in our suitcases to bring. We explained to her the importance of giving to those who are less fortunate, and would have her give her items to kids in need. A few times this was hard for her, but at the end of the day she was always happy that she made some other kid just as happy as she was.
Helping Others
I don’t think this needs a lot of explanation, but I’ll give you a real life scenario.
While in the UK, my daughter and husband were walking to the grocery store when it started to rain. Not just rain. It was pouring. As they were running back, grocery bags in hand, they noticed an elderly man trying to get his groceries out of his scooter or moped, and it seemed he was struggling. They turned back and offered to help. They got him inside his house, put his groceries away, covered up his scooter, and cleaned up the wet footsteps in his house. This man was so taken aback and so thankful for their help.
Now you must be thinking, “duh, who wouldn’t stop and help this guy?!” But in reality, there were other people walking by that day, who either paid him no attention, or saw and kept on going, trying to escape the rain.
Don’t be like those people. Be more like my 4 year old.
I hope this helps you understand ecotourism a bit more. Go ahead. Try it out. I bet you’ll gain something from it.
Traveling on a Budget
The number one question we get is “how can you afford to travel?!”
In all honesty, it’s actually cheaper than paying for a mortgage, car payment, bills, etc., while living in Southern California. But, we do spend a lot of time searching for deals and coupons. There are multiple sites that we have found to be very helpful and that have saved us hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. A few examples are Booking, CruiseCritic, and Rentalcars.
We also have a few other tricks up our sleeves. Keep reading…I’ll share.
Strategic Destinations
Another way to save money is picking your travel destination wisely. Naturally, most people want to see the big popular tourist destinations. I mean, who doesn’t. But there’s a better way to do it. Stay a little bit outside that city. You’ll find much cheaper places to stay, better food, and friendlier people. Public transportation in most foreign countries is very streamlined, and cheap. Take that trip to Paris. See the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, but then hop on the train for 20 minutes and pay for a beautiful hotel, for less than half the price. Not only does it help you save money, but you’ll feel more like a local, more immersed in the culture. It’ll make your trip that much more exciting.
Public Transportation
If you ever travel outside of the US, you should definitely utilize public transportation. It is super fast, reliable, and cheap! Bus rides for about $0.40 per ride, train tickets for under $3, it saves you a ton of money when compared to taxis or ride shares! (We use both of these often, but try to avoid them as much as possible).
Also, did you know that besides walking and biking, taking the train is actually one of the greenest and most environment-friendly options! (I mean walking is..obviously.) Regardless if diesel-powered or electric, trains emit between 66% and 75% fewer carbon emissions when compared to cars and airplanes. And the ecotourism award goes to the family at AtlasAdventured!
To read more about the public transportation in Spain, click HERE
To learn more about trains in Europe, read more HERE
To learn more about the Eurail Pass, click HERE
Hop On Hop Off Bus
Most major cities have this, or some iteration of it. For example, Toulon and Vaduz have mini train versions of hop on hop off tours. These tickets are usually good for 24-48 hours, stop at most major points of interest, and have frequent time tables. If you purchase the tickets online, there is a good chance it will come with (or pay extra to bundle) discounts to local attractions and restaurants as well! We purchased tickets for the HoHo Bus in Valencia, Spain, and it came with 2 tickets to the aquarium!
Car Rental
Renting a car abroad is surprisingly cheap, usually around 20-30 euros per day, and you get to see so much more of the country you’re visiting. We used RentalCars and Economybookings to search for rental cars. We make a point to research what is surrounding the area we’ll be visiting and more often than not, we could take a one hour, beautiful and scenic drive, and end up in a new country. It’s not every day you can say you’ve done that. We also enjoy the freedom that comes with renting a car. When you use public transportation, you have to be on their time frame. You also get to stop wherever and whenever you want. For someone who has a small bladder, that is huge!
The streets may be different than what you’re used to (ie; they are very narrow! And sometimes cobblestone). I do recommend doing some research about driving in a new country, and look into what a rental car company requires from you. In some countries we were required to have an International Driver’s Permit (which was cheap and easy to acquire). If you are considering crossing borders, talk to the rental car company about what documentation you will need.
Talk to the Locals
Every place we’ve been, we have made a point to talk to people. Cab drivers are your best friends! Spark up a conversation with a local, and they will give you all sorts of money saving tips. We found some of the best, and cheapest restaurants, by taking the advice of our taxi drivers. We were able to find cheap boat rides around lakes and to islands because we talked to the server at a restaurant, and found the most beautiful, tourist free spots because we chatted up a local in a hotel bar.
It’s hard for me to talk to strangers. Luckily I have a pretty outgoing family, especially my daughter, who can talk to anyone. Not only has this little tidbit saved us money, it has helped me break out of my shell, out of my comfort zone, and make some lasting memories with some new friends.
Traveling with a Toddler
I don’t even know where to start here. When we first had our daughter we knew that one day we would want to travel with her. But I’ve read all of the horror stories, I’ve been on those airplanes with the screaming child the whole time, I’ve seen kids throwing tantrums in public places. I was so afraid that would be us. I’ve done a lot of research and I have a pretty creative family that has helped come up with things to do to keep her busy. Fortunately, I also have a pretty agreeable kid, whose favorite thing to do is travel.
(Keep in mind the plane tips and tricks will work for car rides too!)
Plane Rides
While packing my carry on I make sure to pack activities for her to do on the plane. Coloring books, busy books, puzzles, a tablet, whatever you know your child likes and will pay attention to. I will also get her a little something new and wrap it. This I save for emergency purposes. When I notice her start to get real antsy or bored, I will tell her I have a special surprise for her and give her little challenges to complete before she gets it (aka counting to 20, saying the ABC’s, or reading a book). This has worked for us, every time.
Also, snacks! Pack a few options, or even get a new snack for the ride. Something to get them excited!
In the Airport
Once at the airport and we’re at our gate waiting for our plane to arrive, we will walk, skip, or dance our way around that entire place until the moment we need to board. Get all of that energy out! A lot of airports now have kids areas, which is so nice. If I find one I will let her play for a while, then tell her we should run through the airport one more time! And always have them use the restroom, or at least try, before getting on the plane.
Sleep Schedules
Plan nap/sleep schedules around your flight! Try to keep your child awake until your flight. If we have really long travel days, I will wake our daughter up very early in the morning and start getting her excited about the day. Then once she’s on the plane, the rocking and the excitement of the day usually puts her right to sleep. This also applies to long driving days or long train days. Waking up and getting on the road early to power through as many as hours as possible before their normal wake up time is ideal. Then, when they wake up you can stop for some breakfast and running around before getting back in the car.
You’re welcome.
Strategic Destinations
Once we choose the destination we want to visit, we will do a lot of research into which cities offer the most activities for kids.
For example, we knew we wanted to visit Spain, and we were pretty open to going wherever. After a lot of research, we found that Valencia is one of the most kid friendly cities in Spain, offering tons of parks, playgrounds, and indoor activities.
*Ecotourism and sustainable travel is also about how you’re getting to that destination. Choosing direct flights over connecting flights considerable reduces emissions. This sometimes doesn’t always work when you’re also traveling on a budget, but with enough research, we were usually able to find something direct and low cost.
Get Them Involved
We also get her involved in planning a trip. We will show her pictures of different places and ask her what looks good to her, and talk about all of the things there is to do, and all the yummy new food we will try. If your kid loves spaghetti, look up the best spaghetti in the town, and show your child pictures of it! If your child likes animals, look up zoos or aquariums in the area and show them. Aim for animal sanctuaries and rehbiliation centers since they tend to put more emphasis on the ethical treatment of animals and supporting wildlife conservation efforts.
It gives them something to look forward to, which makes getting there more fun for them too. When my daughter gets involved, she tends to be more agreeable to traveling there and exploring. Seeing familiar things (that she’s seen in pictures) gets her super excited to be there in real life!
Thank you for coming to my “Ted Talk” on Ecotourism
We want to share our story because we want to encourage you to travel more. In a world where it seems everyone is against everyone, we’re striving to become better and raise better humans. Become more tolerant. Go see how the “other half lives”. It will give you more insight into your own beautiful life. Help change yourself and the world for the better. There’s nothing to lose and everything to gain.
I hope this article helped you decide to travel. On a budget, as an ecotourist, as a family, or all of the above. Go experience something new.
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